1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to new 2-halo-pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acids of the formula: ##STR3## wherein X is a halogen atom, to a process for the production of the new 2-halo-pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acids of the formula I, starting from a 2-halo-4-methylpyrimidine, and to the use of the new 2-halo-pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acids of the formula I for the production of new 2-substituted pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid derivatives of the formula: ##STR4## wherein R.sub.1 is a halogen atom, NH.sub.2 --, HO-- or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy group, and R.sub.2 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy group or a halogen atom with the exception that if R.sub.1 is HO--, R.sub.2 is not a halogen atom.
The 2-halo-pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acids of the formula I according to the invention are, in the form of acid amides, important intermediate products for pharmaceutical active ingredients (see European Published Patent Application No. 435,749).
2. Background Art
From the prior art it is known that methyl groups on 5- or 6-ring heterocycles are reacted with microorganisms of genus Pseudomonas to the corresponding carboxylic acid (see European Published Patent Application No. 442,430). However, neither a chemical nor a microbiological process for the production of concrete 2-halo-pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acids is known.